By Eric Alves, Regional Communications Specialist, American Red Cross of Northeast Ohio

Year in and year out, when there are large national disasters, such as hurricanes Florence and Michael and the California wildfires, the focus of the news and viewers is high, and attention is on the American Red Cross and their efforts to assist those in need. Currently, the Red Cross and partners are operating 16 shelters and assisting over 200 residents in North and South Carolina following a winter storm that resulted in widespread loss of power in the Southeast United States.

However, even when the camera are not rolling, the Red Cross of Northeast Ohio is still active and assisting residents in need and helping to support them as they overcome a tragic low in their lives, which was evident this past weekend.

During the weekend of December 7-9, 2018, the Red Cross responded to 10 incidents in Cuyahoga, Huron, Mahoning and Stark Counties, with disasters ranging from a carbon monoxide leak to home fires. The response included assisting 23 adults and 15 children and distributing more than $7,000 in immediate financial assistance.

One incident included a fatal home fire in Youngstown involving five young children. The Red Cross of Northeast Ohio is deeply saddened by this tragedy. Professional disaster mental health volunteers are on-call ready to provide support and assistance to the family of the victims in this time of grief and difficulty.

In Northeast Ohio, the most frequent disasters the Red Cross responds to are home fires. On average, the Red Cross responds to three home fires every 24-hours. The Red Cross wants to ensure everyone in Northeast Ohio remains safe, which is why the Red Cross developed the home fire campaign, where volunteers go door-to-door to install free smoke alarms and help families create home fire escape plans. In 2018, the Red Cross installed 17,546 smoke alarms in Northeast Ohio. To learn more about home fire safety and tips to help keep your family safe during a home fire, visit redcross.org/homefires.

To continue to provide support and disaster relief to residents in their time of need, the Red Cross relies on the continued generosity of Northeast Ohio. If you would like to provide a financial donation, visit redcross.org/donate, call 1-800-RED CROSS or text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.